England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
